Woman accused of biting police officer during permit dispute at Marissa Village Hall

A woman upset over an occupancy permit allegedly bit a Marissa police officer as he tried to escort her off the Village Hall premises, police said Thursday.

Yolanda Cruse, 38, was at Marissa Village Hall at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday in reference to a dispute over an occupancy permit, according to a news release from the Marissa Police Department. Cruse was allegedly yelling and cursing about the permit.

The village secretary asked Cruse to leave the premises, and she refused, according to the release. An off-duty Marissa police officer was at the village hall for a meeting, and he approached Cruse and asked her to calm down or leave the building.

She refused and "struck the secretaries counter and continued to yell at the officer," according to the release. He took her arm to escort her out, and she allegedly tried to hit him in the face. He tried to restrain her by taking her to the floor, and she bit him on the forearm.